


Bumbleby Week 2020

by buzzybees



Category: RWBY
Genre: Bumbleby Week 2020 (RWBY), F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, rating could go up in later chaps who knows, will add more of these when needed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:46:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24621826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buzzybees/pseuds/buzzybees
Summary: I'm actually late for the entire bumbleby week, but here i'll lay out my contributions to the prompts for it and i hope people enjoy them :)
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, will add more if needed - Relationship
Comments: 17
Kudos: 130





	1. Blake's Ring/Sunflower Pop Cap

**Author's Note:**

> im sorry im late for bumbleby week, and im doing these one shots after everything is officially finished. but i realised i wanted to contribute to the prompts and to continue writing because it's what i love to do. i love writing for the bees as well, so i want to spread their love and just have people enjoy my content :) that being said, i hope you enjoy this one!

The night before everyone would be split off to deal with the Grimm in the snowy areas beyond Mantle and Atlas, Blake found herself sitting on the roof of the Academy, one leg dangling off the edge with her head laying sideways on her knee. She fiddled with a tiny object in her left hand absentmindedly, the cool metal soothing her. She sighed softly, eyes wide open as she took in the sight of Mantle down below her, small and cold and dark.

She knew that feeling.

She almost jumped out of her skin and off the edge of the roof when she heard a sound from behind. She clutched the object in her hand and twisted her body to look behind her, tension leaking out of her body when she saw it was just Yang. Yang, clumsily opening the roof door and almost face planting onto the hard ground. Blake snickered and covered her mouth, hiding her amused smile behind it as Yang straightened herself up, wide eyes locked on hers and furious blush on her face.

"Oh, uh, sorry... I didn't mean to, um..." Yang stumbled over her words, rubbing the back of her head with her mechanical hand. Blake felt a familiar warmth creep into her chest at the sight of her partner looking so disoriented and flustered, her heart fluttering when Yang flitted her eyes around in a nervous manner. Blake removed her hand from her mouth, flashing her smile towards Yang with an inviting gaze.

"Don't worry about it." Blake replied, and Yang looked at her again, some of the tension releasing from her taut shoulders. She also let out a soft smile in return, eyes sparkling in the moonlight and Blake suddenly forgot how to breathe. Yang chewed on her bottom lip and, without a word, stepped towards her at the edge of the roof, lowering herself down so she was right next to her, her own leg dangling off the edge and their other legs pressed flush together, the heat surging through their clothes.

"Nice night, isn't it?" Yang said. She looked up at the starry night sky, the cracked moon staring back at them both as if it knew some big secret. Maybe it did.

"It is," Blake agreed, taking a breath and looking around them at the sky with her, a sense of calm washing over her. Yang had that effect on her- always could calm her down and make her enjoy the moment, no matter what it was. Blake glanced at Yang's profile, a thought rushing to her. "How did you know I was here?"

Yang's eyes snapped to her, pink hue to her cheeks at the sudden question. Blake raised an eyebrow at her, and Yang scratched her cheek, shrugging.

"I heard you get out of bed earlier. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, but I didn't want to intrude or pry, so I let you have your time alone before making my move." Yang confessed, and Blake's eyes glistened with amusement, tilting her head with her cat ears drooping forward with interest.

"So, you followed me?" Blake teased, and Yang blinked, blush deepening as she held her hands up in surrender.

"Okay, a little. I'm sorry, I really just... Wanted to see if you were alright, I promise." Yang replied, and Blake roamed her eyes over her face, seeing the truth for herself in those lilac orbs. Blake believed her, of course, but it was fun catching Yang off guard. She always acted so confident and suave, and while she could return the favour to Blake at the best of times, whenever Blake gave it back to her, she wouldn't know how to handle it. But, maybe she should let up a bit more tonight.

"It's okay." Blake said, reaching her right hand out to curl her fingers around Yang's left, their eyes meeting with gentle smiles on their faces. Yang looked relieved, then, and content to be there with her, and Blake's stomach twisted with glee at that thought. She and Yang had felt destined, somehow, to get to this point together. When they were apart, it was agony for her, and she knew it was the same for Yang, even if they hadn't had time to talk about it all. But, they grew from all the struggles, and they matured. 

Now they were here, together, holding hands under beautiful moonlight. Moonlight that cast light on her ring in her other hand, which she had completely forgotten about. Yang's eyes were drawn to it, and she furrowed her eyebrows.

"Got something good there?" Yang said with a grin, pointing to the ring in her hand. Blake blinked and looked at it, breathing out a laugh and opening up her hand, allowing Yang to examine the ring in its entirety. 

"Just something I found." Blake said, shrugging her shoulders. Yang examined it more closely, with Blake's permission, by running a ringer over the sleek gold, a hum escaping her throat.

"It's beautiful." Yang said softly, looking at Blake with an unreadable expression. Blake held the ring again, closing her fist around it with a smile.

"I thought so, too."

Yang pursed her lips and looked off, down towards Mantle with that same unreadable expression on her face. Blake noticed, and frowned in concern.

"You okay?" Blake asked, caressing her thumb on the back of Yang's hand, gathering her attention again. Yang nodded, before using her other hand to search around in her pockets, the woman pulling out a similar looking golden object. Blake gasped when Yang showed her the item, "Sunflower Pop' written across the top in bold letters. Her heart clenched as she touched it, eyes snapping up to Yang's, her eyes full of wonder.

"When I was about to leave Patch to search for Raven, to find Ruby, something caught my eye in the water. Turns out it was this cap, and when I saw it, I felt... Like I'd seen it before, but I couldn't place where. But I felt like I had to keep it, for some unknown reason." Yang spoke with a layer of disbelief and confusion, but also hopeful about something, even if she didn't know what. "Your ring just reminded me of this, I guess, and how we used to go to clubs and have Sunflower Pop together." Yang's voice turned soft again, and Blake saw her jaw clench at the memories.

Blake swallowed thickly, memories of their hang outs at Beacon, at the clubs they definitely shouldn't have been allowed in to, at the book stores Blake would drag her along to. It seemed like a completely different life.

"You know, until they'd end with us fighting everyone else and blowing the places up." Yang suddenly said, and Blake couldn't help the snort that escaped her, shaking her head when Yang giggled at the memory. Blake sighed, glancing down to the bottle cap in Yang's hand, mind reeling from the whole situation.

"The last club we went to," Blake said, Yang's eyes locked on her as she spoke. They had leaned closer since Yang first sat down, heads almost touching as they both became enamoured with memories and the two objects they both held. "I didn't tell you about this, because I didn't think it was important anymore, but... I kept one of the caps."

Yang blinked in surprise, forehead crinkling as she thought back to their times together. Blake licked her lips, gently taking the bottle cap from Yang's hand to hold it up to the moonlight, noticing a chip in the side of it, her heart whooshing.

"And, before I threw it into the sea on my way to Menagerie, I chipped the side of it when I dropped it on the boat." Blake's voice became deeper, an overwhelming feeling washing over her when she confirmed her own theory- the chip in this one being on the same side as her own bottle cap she threw away, the one she left behind like she did with Yang. But, somehow, someway... It found Yang.

"Whoa." Yang breathed out, clearly overwhelmed herself. Blake placed the cap back into Yang's hand, un-clenching her own hand to show off her ring again, cat ears drooping on her head.

"Why did you throw it away?" Yang followed up, and Blake could sense hesitation in her tone, and a sprinkle of hurt. It hurt her to hear, so she stared deep into Yang's eyes, reaching out to grasp Yang's hand again, the bottle cap pressed between their hands.

"When I left, Yang, I... I was leaving everything behind. Ruby, Weiss, Beacon... You." Blake said, lump in her throat. "I felt... Like I didn't deserve these memories, that I didn't deserve to keep something of you after what happened. That time was over, so I just... Tossed it." Blake's voice was softer at the end, an attempt to not have her voice crack from the surge of emotions she was feeling. She maintained eye contact with her partner, though, even if it hurt her to see the pained look in Yang's eyes. But, then Yang took a breath, and the look of pain seemed to slowly dissipate, Blake's heart filling with hope at what her response would be.

"You're back, now." Yang replied, squeezing Blake's hand, the ridges of the bottle cap leaving indents in their skin. "Whatever happened before, whatever reason you had to throw it away... It's okay, Blake. We're here now, in the present, and I'm glad we're here side by side."

Blake let out a breath, stomping down the tears that threatened to escape. She had more to say, and she couldn't start crying for fear she wouldn't stop. So, she clamped down her tears for a bit longer, holding up the ring in her hand.

"This ring... I found it while fishing with my mother back in Menagerie. When I saw it, I thought it was the bottle cap coming back to me." Blake said, and she felt a hand on the small of her back now, Yang's warmth spreading to her in the bitter winds of the night. "It wasn't, obviously, but Gods... Yang, the chances of _you_ ever coming across that cap are..."

"Almost like it had to be destiny?" Yang gazed at her, their eyes staying locked as Blake took a breath, nodding her head slowly.

"Yeah... Destiny." Blake whispered, letting out a small smile when Yang's lip quirked up. Blake sighed and pressed against Yang, laying her head on her shoulder. She looked up at the stars, nothing more needing to be said as they held each other, basking in each other's warmth and comfort. 

The silence stretched on, both of them gazing at the sky and taking in everything they had learned from each other. And not just from this moment- from the years they'd known each other, up until this point. A point where they trusted each other more than anyone, a point where their partnership had started to bloom into something more, something that they were both increasingly aware of and completely happy with. Blake had someone to rely on, someone that valued her and her opinions, and _listened_ to her. And Yang had someone that valued her as well, and someone that would never abandon her again, not like last time.

Blake was the one that got away, but she found her way back.

Just like a ring and Sunflower Pop bottle cap. 


	2. Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> day #2 of bumbleby week is scars, i hope you all enjoy this one shot!

The first night they stayed in Atlas, after being taken by the Ace-Ops and meeting Ironwood again after so long, the teams were allowed to split off and find their respective dorm rooms in the Academy. Team RWBY in one, Team ORNJ in another, and the adults getting their own quarters as well. 

Yang was in the dorm room's bathroom, staring blankly at her reflection in the mirror for longer than she should have. Ruby and Weiss were out of the room currently, taking a walk around the Academy with Weiss acting as a proper tour guide, showing her the ins and outs of everything more properly than their official tour by Penny and Winter. The silence wasn't doing her any favours, and even though she knew Blake was just outside the door, lounging on her bed and reading a book, her presence was cut off from her due to the closed bathroom door.

Yang steadied her breathing as she continued to look at herself, raising her mechanical arm up towards her face. She pursed her lips and slowly detached the arm, laying it down on the marble of the sink in front of her. She gazed over herself, over the stump of her arm, stomach twisting as her mind flashed back to Adam. But, it was different this time, at least- it wasn't nightmares plaguing her anymore, it wasn't thoughts of him coming to her in her sleep to finish the job. No, it was different in the sense that all she thought about was how she felt freer, now. He was gone, she and Blake did what they had to do when it came to him. He was relentless, and ruthless. They had no other choice but to deal with that demon together.

But, she also couldn't help but remember his scarred face, his piercing blue eyes staring deep into her soul with so much hatred. So much jealousy and resentment for her, and even though she was coming to terms with the act she and Blake had to do, the images of his lifeless body descending from the cliff were too much sometimes.

Yang lifted her stump slightly, gently grazing the end of it with her fingers. She took another breath to calm herself, willing herself to think of other things.

"Yang?"

Yang jumped and almost knocked her arm piece off the counter of the sink, eyes snapping to the closed door. Blake's soft voice had travelled through it, accompanied by a gentle knock. Yang blinked a few times, gathering her wits before she walked to the door, unlocking it and slowly opening it up.

Blake stood there in her pyjamas, provided by General Ironwood and the Academy. Her ears were pricked forward on her head, and her eyes held concern in them, the amber glowing in the darkness of the bedroom, a single lamp illuminating the dorm. Her eyes flitted downwards, and her brows furrowed. Yang followed her line of sight and internally cursed, realising she had forgotten to attach her arm again. Yang cleared her throat and stepped back into the bathroom, leaving the door open so Blake could look in on her from the door frame.

"Is... Everything okay?" Blake said, hesitant and careful. Yang glanced at her, before sighing and nodding at her, playing with the hem of her shirt with her left hand.

"Things are good. Sorry, I'll be out in a minute." Yang replied, twisting her body to look at herself in the mirror again, absentmindedly fiddling with the abandoned arm on the counter. Blake entered the bathroom out of the corner of her eye, bare feet slapping against the sleek marble flooring underneath them. She leaned against the wall next to the sink, tilting her head with her ears drooped down.

"Yang." Blake said. "When I said I... Wouldn't break my promise, I meant it. And if I'm going to hold onto that promise, I want to know what's bothering you. I want to be here for you... If you'll let me." Blake's voice was soft and soothing, and Yang found her shoulders relaxing from their taut position as she spoke, her calming energy washing over her in mere seconds. She sighed and glanced to Blake, worried eyes looking back at her, but also flickering down to her detached arm on the counter. Yang looked down at it, before moving her eyes to look at her stump, shifting it slightly.

"I just needed to think." Yang said.

Blake pushed herself off the wall to shuffle a bit closer, Yang stepping to the side to provide more room for Blake at the sink with her, her warmth radiating off of her. 

"I keep thinking about Adam." Yang finally relented, and she heard the sharp intake of breath from her partner at the mention of his name. Yang met her eyes, the conflicted emotions swirling in the amber. Yang lifted her stump fully, shaking it around a little with a small shrug. "It's getting better, you know. But, sometimes, my mind goes back to that place, and I feel like if I take this off sometimes, it's like I'm detaching myself from it."

She didn't know if that made much sense, but judging by the pained look in Blake's eyes, she understood her. Blake pursed her lips, before reaching down to the hem of her shirt, slowly lifting it up. If it were any other situation, Yang might have made a flirty joke about this exact thing, but even she knew it wasn't exactly the time or place. Especially when Blake's scar came into view, and Blake looked at her again with a pained smile.

"We all have scars, Yang. Some are deeper than others, some are more visible than others. But they're always there, even if you try hard to be rid of them." Blake murmured, looking into Yang's eyes as she lifted her hand, Yang allowing her to touch the stump of her arm. Blake flitted her eyes back and forth between Yang's. "Adam left a scar on us both, visible or not, and sometimes I hate looking at myself because I see this." She motioned to her scar, removing her hand from Yang's arm to do so. Before Yang could interject, Blake let out a smile at her. "But, we're in this together. And we can... Help heal each other's scars. No matter how long it takes to do."

Blake gazed at her, and Yang was rendered speechless at the emotional layer to those words. They had been through so much together, and even though it was difficult to go through by herself all that time ago, she knew she had someone to rely on now. She had Blake to be there, and together, maybe they could heal.

Yang was quiet, but she turned her body slightly so she and Blake were facing each other. Blake furrowed her eyebrows, but the confusion disappeared when Yang reached out her left hand, hovering over Blake's exposed scar. When Blake gave her a nod, she began tracing the mark with her index finger, almost not noticing the shiver that past through Blake's body at her touch. _Almost_.

"Yeah." Yang finally whispered, raising her eyes to look into Blake's, continuing her slow caresses along her scar. "We're in this together."

Blake smiled softly at her and Yang allowed her own to slip through. She pulled her hand away from Blake's abdomen, allowing Blake to lower her shirt back down. Blake reached out to grab her detached arm, and with a nod from Yang, attached it again, making sure it was secure before stepping away. She motioned out towards the dorm bedroom, right ear flicking.

"My book awaits." Blake said with a cheesy grin, and Yang snorted, rolling her eyes and gesturing for her to leave the bathroom.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm sure there's just _so_ much plot going on in that one, isn't there?" Yang replied, raising an eyebrow with an amused glint in her eye. Blake's cheeks turned pink, and she averted her gaze, causing Yang to snicker. Blake sighed and flicked her shoulder, before turning and walking out of the room.

"For your information, the plot is very engrossing in this one." Blake said, and Yang just hummed with a 'yeah, sure' falling out of her mouth, eyes widening when a pillow was suddenly launched at her. She quickly closed the door, a soft 'thump' echoing when the pillow hit the floor.

"Stop the violence!" Yang yelled through the door, and Blake laughed heartily in return, a wide smile breaking out onto Yang's face at the sound.

"Thought you enjoyed how feisty I am?" Blake shot back, and when Yang didn't reply, she settled back into her bed with a victorious grin on her face, returning into the world of her book.

Yang grumbled, but the smile on her face didn't go away. So, she just sighed and let the matter go, continuing where she left off on her nightly routine. As she brushed her teeth, her mind once again flashed back to Adam, but this time, a newer, fresher image of Blake took its place halfway through. Blake, who was there for her when she needed her, and who she trusted more than anything.

They'd get through it together, and their scars would heal.

They had each other, now, and Adam would never take that away again. 


	3. Soulmates/Reincarnation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> day #3 of bees week was soulmates/reincarnation :) i hope you enjoy my take on this one

_The Princess' Castle - Many Years Ago_

"The Princess will see you now."

"Lovely. Thank you, Borin." The Warrior said with a cheeky grin towards the old man, the man rolling his kind eyes with a fond expression on his face. He gestured towards the large wooden door, and without another word, The Warrior pushed on the door, entering the room.

A body slammed into hers, the door closing with a loud 'bang' as her back was thrown into it. The Warrior laughed heartily and wrapped her arms around the body that collided with hers.

"You've returned." The Princess breathed out, arms wound around The Warrior's neck and face pressed into her shoulder. The Warrior held her close, planting a kiss in between the furry ears atop her head. The Princess sighed lightly and pulled away to look into her lover's eyes, a relieved and content smile on her face. She reached down to clasp their hands together softly between them. "I was so worried."

The Warrior smiled back at her, lifting one of the Princess' hands to her lips, placing a kiss on her knuckles.

"There is no need to worry, so. I always return, my love." The Warrior boasted, puffing out her chest a little for added effect. The Princess sighed fondly and rolled her eyes, untangling herself from her lover with a soft hum. She turned and walked towards her enormous, lavish bed in the middle of her equally as lavish bedroom, settling herself down delicately on the edge of it. She leaned back on her hands and crossed one leg over the other, tiling her head with a smirk.

"I suppose you do." The Princess said. "I believe Borin is beginning to suspect, you know."

The Warrior scoffed and waved a hand in dismissal, beginning to strip herself of her heavy armour.

"Borin began to suspect the moment we laid eyes on each other, my darling." The Warrior said with a grin, glancing to her lover on the bed before returning to the removal of her chest piece. "I believe he encourages this, you know."

"Is that so?" The Princess replied, enraptured with the slow, methodical removing of each piece of armour. The Warrior placed all the pieces on the round wooden table near the door, and she remained in her linen underclothes. She stepped towards the bed, sinking down on the soft silk next to her companion. 

"We're happy together, are we not?" The Warrior said, catching The Princess off guard entirely. The Princess laughed in disbelief, cupping her companion's jaw in order to look into each other's eyes.

"What causes you to ask such a question? Of course." The Princess said, looking deep into the beautiful swirls of lilac that she fell for many weeks ago. The Warrior gazed back with a tender fondness, before she reached into her pocket to pull out a small object. When The Princess looked down at it, a gasp escaped from her at the sight.

"I would like you to have this." The Warrior said, holding the dazzling, golden ring with her thumb and index finger, raising it towards her companion. The Princess stared in awe at the wonderful craftsmanship of the accessory, before glancing into The Warrior's eyes.

"Is there an occasion I'm forgetting about?" The Princess said, and The Warrior laughed at her confused expression, before shaking her head.

"No, my sweet. It is a token." The Warrior replied, lifting The Princess' hand to slip the ring onto her finger, leaning down to leave a soft kiss on the ring. "A token of my love for you. A promise that I will always come back to you." The Warrior's words were laced with emotion, and The Princess' heart fluttered at the vulnerable look in her eyes, the love that was pouring from them.

"Oh, darling..." The Princess breathed, cupping her lover's cheeks with such softness that she was afraid her love would break. "I know this to be true. Not even death could keep us apart, I know that." The Princess caressed her cheeks with her thumbs, and leaned in to steal a kiss on her lover's lips briefly. The Warrior wrapped her strong, muscular arms around her to hold her close, their warmth mingling together between their bodies. The Warrior separated their lips after a short time, but continued to hold The Princess in her arms, the silky fabric of her long, lavender dress tickling her exposed arms.

"I will always be with you." The Warrior whispered, pressing her forehead against The Princess' in a sign of unity, of love and bonding.

The Princess breathed in her lover's scent, smiling softly at her companion. "This ring is beautiful, my love. I vow for it to be a symbol of our connection, and I will cherish it always." The Princess closed her eyes, then, and allowed The Warrior to lay her down on the bed, the night being filled with a passion neither of them had experienced before.

In a week, The Warrior would fall in battle for the first and only time. And The Princess would throw herself into the sea, grief stricken and broken beyond repair. It was the last time she allowed herself to love, and it failed.

The ring was carried with the current, lost and abandoned amongst the blue waters.

_Beacon Academy - Initiation Day_

Blake perched herself up in a tree, the distant yells and screams from the students of Beacon flying overhead. She heard a very high-pitched screech through the trees to her left, but paid it no mind. She had already surveyed a few of the students that landed earlier, but none had really caught her eye in any way. And some that sparked her interest already had found partners of their own, much to her chagrin. 

Blake puffed out her cheeks in boredom, only for a loud 'boom' to catch her attention from not far off. She stood on the branch, intrigued enough to jump from tree to tree towards where the sound originated, the closer she got the more sounds of fighting she could hear. Blake eventually came across a small clearing in the trees, and she stuck to the dense area of trees circling the clearing as she gazed with interest at what she saw.

A golden haired girl was standing in the clearing, two Grimm in front of her, yet she seemed unfazed and even amused at the sight of them both. Blake tilted her head, observing intently.

"You guys wouldn't happen to have seen a girl in a red hood, would you?" The girl said with a wink towards the Grimm, and Blake honestly was shocked at the level of confidence she had. She was pretty bold, and when the Grimm just roared in her face, she shrugged and said, "Could just say no!"

Blake bit her lip to keep from smiling at the incredulous nature of this entire situation. But, she was intrigued, and very interested to see where this fight would go. So, she dropped down from the tree and slipped into the bushes surrounding the area to get a better view, keeping to the sidelines for now.

The Grimm swiped at her with its large claws, the girl dodging by doing a back handspring and landing right back on her feet, a scoff escaping her.

"Geez! You two couldn't hit the broad side of a-" The girl trailed off, a lock of golden hair floating down in front of her face and descending towards the ground.

What happened next was one of the most intense, insane things Blake had ever seen in her whole life. The girl, enraged by losing a lock of her hair, activated what Blake could only assume was her semblance, her eyes turning red and hair turning into fiery embers. Blake raised her eyebrows, fully entranced as this girl went berserk, kicking and punching one of the Grimm until it was thrown into the trees, taking down several and landing somewhere in the dense forest. The girl stood there, chest heaving and anger in her eyes.

Blake felt a twinge of recognition inside of her at that moment, the long golden hair and powerful, intimidating stance of the woman giving her a rush of something. As if she had known this person in a different life, as if they had met long ago in a distant land. She felt drawn to this person, a vague connection to her that she hadn't felt while observing any of the other students.

When the other Grimm approached the girl, she whirled towards it, growling at it.

"What?! You want some too?!" She yelled.

Blake, having made her decision, threw Gambol Shroud into the back of the Grimm, landing a killing blow instantly. The Grimm fell to the ground in between her and the other girl, and after Blake pulled back Gambol Shroud to sheath it, her amber eyes met confused, but intrigued lilac ones that seemed somehow also seemed familiar to her.

There was a beat of silence between them as Blake smirked at the girl, the girl placing her hands on her hips and pursing her lips at her.

"I could have taken him." The girl said.

Blake later learned her name was Yang Xiao Long, and from that point on, they stuck together like glue. The start of a beautiful friendship, one that Blake felt familiar with from another lifetime. 

_Atlas Academy - Night Before The Mine Shaft Mission_

Blake clutched the ring in her hand, laying awake in her bed in Team RWBY's dorm room in the Academy. She felt comfort holding onto this small object, memories of her mother back in Menagerie filtering into her mind. That, and the fact that she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd had even back then, when her mother told her the story of the Faunus Princess and the human she had fallen for. It was a bittersweet tragedy, and it broke her heart to hear the Princess had become so overcome with grief, that she threw herself into the sea. Only for her ring to be lost at sea, and for some strange reason, Blake felt connected to that story. Felt connected to the ring she had found, even if she wasn't entirely sure it was meant to be the same one in the tale.

"Blake?"

Yang's voice from above interrupted her intense thoughts, and she hummed in acknowledgement. There was a moment of silence, before Yang shuffled above her. Her long hair fanned out over the edge of the bunk, her face barely visible in the dark if it weren't for her faunus vision. Blake met her eyes in the dark, Yang's face a mix of contemplation and something unreadable to her.

"You're just thinking really loud." Yang whispered, and Blake snorted unconsciously, a wave of embarrassment washing over her when Ruby shifted in her bed. They waited another beat, before Blake sighed and raised an eyebrow at her partner.

"Sorry to disturb your slumber, Oh Great One." Blake said teasingly, and Yang grinned widely at her, looking a little funny upside down. Yang retreated into her bed, only for her legs to appear. She softly landed and turned towards Blake, gesturing towards her bed. Blake shifted closer to the wall in order to give her room, and with a soft sensation building in her stomach, watched Yang clamber into her bed, both of them sitting against the headboard, thighs brushing together.

"I'll forgive you. But just this once." Yang held up a finger, a mock look of disappointment on her face. Blake snickered and nodded, allowing an amused smile to slip through at her ridiculous partner. Yang smiled back and lowered her hand, briefly brushing against Blake's left that was still clutching the ring in it, pressed against her thigh.

They fell into a comfortable silence, Blake returning to her earlier thoughts of the Faunus Princess story, and memories of her mother and father, and how much she missed them. Yang was quiet next to her, but they tended to do this when they couldn't sleep- the presence of one another being enough comfort that words weren't really needed. Blake let out a soft sigh, leaning her head back against he headboard to look upwards, at the underside of Yang's bunk. Yang shifted slightly next to her, and Blake waited patiently for Yang to say what was on her mind.

"Can I tell you something?" Yang said softly. Blake turned her head and looked into Yang's eyes, noticing the vulnerability and softness.

"Always." Blake replied easily, and Yang visibly relaxed next to her, nodding her head slowly as she gathered whatever it was she wanted to say. Blake squeezed her own hand, the ring digging into her skin, but not painfully- it was comforting.

"When we first met," Yang began, and Blake's mind immediately travelled back to that moment, as if it happened yesterday. "I felt a weird sense of deja vu. Like... It wasn't _really_ our first time meeting. Is that crazy?" Yang said, scoffing in disbelief at her own words. Blake thought for a moment, the pressure of the ring grounding her in the moment.

"I don't think so." Blake replied, and Yang looked at her with hope in her eyes, but she wasn't sure what the hope was for. "I felt the same."

"Really?" Yang said.

"Yeah." Blake's voice turned soft, brows furrowing as she concentrated on everything that had happened between her and Yang over the years, how far they had to come and how much they had to go through to get where they were. Blake levelled Yang with a sincere look, smiling gently at her. "I don't know why, but I always had the feeling we knew each other, before all of this. It sounds insane to say out loud, but I'm glad I'm not alone in feeling that way."

"You definitely aren't." Yang breathed a sigh of relief, grinning cheekily at her partner. Blake's smile remained as well, a warmth spreading throughout her chest. Yang gazed at her for a moment, Blake momentarily being caught up in the shine of her eyes, and the way her golden hair fell onto her shoulders in lovely waves and how beautiful her smile was. Blake sucked in a breath, that feeling of safety, and familiarity, spreading through her.

"My mom once told me a story." Blake suddenly blurted, and Yang tilted her head, intrigued. She wasn't sure why she felt compelled to tell this story, but for some strange reason, it felt like Yang deserved to experience the tale as well, and to understand the significance of it, even if Blake herself didn't know that part yet.

"She told me a tale of a Faunus Princess, who had fallen in love with a human warrior. The warrior gifted her with this ring as a token of their love, only for the Warrior to fall in battle not long after. The Princess threw herself into the sea out of sadness and grief, her ring being lost at sea and never seen again." Blake continued, heart constricting as she recounted the story, feeling tied to it in a way.

"Geez." Yang breathed out, shaking her head. "Your mom needs better bedtime stories, Blake." Yang said, and Blake shoved her shoulder, giggling along with her at her stupid joke. Blake shook her head and opened up her fist, the moonlight glinting off the golden ring in her hand. Yang gasped inaudibly, jaw dropping when she looked at the ring.

"I found this while fishing with her, and that's why she began telling me that story. I don't know why it ended up there, nor do I know where it came from, but I felt drawn to it. I kept it this whole time, and it may seem crazy, but I feel like I need to have it. Does that make sense?" Blake blabbered on, Yang having gone silent and examining the ring in her hand intently, almost in a trance. Blake watched as Yang flitted her eyes to hers, roaming them all over her face.

"Loads of sense." Yang replied reassuringly. "It's... A beautiful ring, and whoever was meant to have it must have been very special." 

Yang's voice was laced with something Blake couldn't pin down, and her words echoed in her mind when she gazed at the ring again. Yang suddenly reached towards the ring, and with Blake's permission, picked it up with her thumb and index finger, the scene somehow familiar to the both of them. Yang looked into her eyes, lifting Blake's hand in order to slip the ring onto Blake's finger, a silence enveloping them as she did so. They stared at one another, almost in a trance, until Weiss moved in her sleep, breaking their reverie and interrupting the moment they had created.

Yang blinked and furrowed her brows, letting go of Blake's hands to let them fall into Blake's lap. Blake's eyes found the ring on her finger, and instead of taking it off again to put under her pillow as she slept, she decided she would leave it on tonight, and ran a finger over the band. Yang cleared her throat and shifted on the bed, catching her attention. Yang smiled at her and proceeded to slip off the bed, standing up and then turning to look at her. She placed her hands on the top bunk, but their eyes remained locked.

"Thanks for the story, Blake." Yang said, and Blake nodded at her with a fondness she didn't know she was capable of. Yang bit her lip and chewed for a moment, before she took a breath and said, "The Princess and The Warrior... Do you think they met again? After death?"

Yang was gazing intently at her, and Blake was at a loss for words. She had thought of this exact thing before, the scenario where the pair were able to reunite somehow, the ring binding them together, never severing their connection. She had thought in her own spare time about how their hearts were intertwined, almost, and perhaps it was proof of the existence of a soulmate. But, she only had her mother's word to go on, and it was just a tale.

So, Blake licked her lips and shrugged in Yang's direction.

"I like to think so." Blake replied softly. "They were soulmates, after all."

Yang glanced away from her for a moment, before nodding to herself and lifting herself up onto her own bunk. Blake heard her shuffle around before the movements stopped, and Blake followed suit, laying down on her back and staring once more at the underside of Yang's bunk. 

She was just on the verge of sleep when she heard Yang's gentle, sleepy voice float from above and to her ears.

"I'm certain they met again."

And with that, Blake heard Yang roll over on her bed, and she fell fast asleep, light snores already erupting from her partner up above. Blake blinked a few times, before turning over onto her side. She raised her hand to her face, gazing once more at the ring wrapped around her finger. She found herself smiling at it, and with Yang's words and smile ingrained in her mind, she slowly fell asleep, ready for their mission tomorrow.

She's sure they met again, too. 


	4. BMBLB (AU DAY)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> day #4 for bees week is au day!! so im doing a high school musical au with the bees where they meet for the first time doing karaoke, like basically the beginning of the first hsm movie, except the song is bmblb and not start of something new lol. hope yall enjoy. yang's lines are bolded, blake in italics, and when they're both singing it's bold and italics.

Blake sat on the couch in the lobby of the ski lodge, engrossed in the book in her hands. Everyone around her was drowned out, the words on the page whirling around in her head. The Noble Human finally confessed her feelings to the Princess, and the Princess was about to give her answer when-

"Blake, honey, what are you doing out here?"

A voice broke into the fray, standing out amongst the other patrons in the lobby. Before Blake could react, the book was snatched away from her, right before the Princess' reply was fully voiced. Blake gasped and snapped her eyes up towards her mother, Kali, who now held the book in her hands.

"Mom! Please, I'm almost done." Blake whined, reaching for the book. Kali grabbed her hand and hauled her out of her seat, a frown on her lips as she shook her head at her daughter.

"Honey, the teen party? I've laid out your best clothes, now come get ready." Kali insisted. Blake sighed and pursed her lips, pointing towards her book that was in her mother's clutches.

"Can I at least have my book back, please?" Blake said. Kali rolled her eyes and handed it back to her, but kept her grip firm on Blake's hand in order to pull her out of the lobby area, back towards their room in the lodge.

"I just think it'll be nice for you to mingle with kids your age. Have some fun, bust a move, you know?" Kali said with a smile, ignoring the pained look on Blake's face when she embarrassingly did her version of a shimmy.

"You know I don't know how to 'bust a move'." She surrounded the words with air quotes, grumbling when she and Kali walked down the hallway, eventually finding their room and entering it. Kali scoffed and shut the door behind them, patting Blake on the back afterwards.

"At least talk to people, okay? It'll be great to actually have fun on this vacation, instead of sitting in the room and reading every book you brought." Kali said, and Blake held her book to her chest, frown creeping onto her face at the slight dig at her hobby. Kali sighed lightly and smiled comfortingly at Blake, reaching up to caress her daughter's hair for a moment. "Honey, it's new years eve, and I just think it'd be a good thing for you to hang out with people your age, get to know them for a bit, and let loose. If you don't like it after, say, an hour, then come back here and continue on with your book, okay?"

The coil of anxiety in her stomach receded a fraction, and her mother looked so supportive and hopeful that Blake didn't have the heart to completely shut her down. So, she sighed and placed her book in her open suitcase on the floor, then stood up and shrugged, forcing a smile onto her face.

"Fine. An hour, that's all you get." Blake said, and Kali clapped her hands, planting a big kiss onto Blake's cheek before pushing her towards the bathroom.

"Go get ready then. I'm heading out to the adults party down the hall. Text me if you need anything, okay?" Kali said, and when Blake nodded, she grabbed her purse and sauntered out of the room, leaving Blake alone with her thoughts as she got herself ready for a party she didn't even want to attend.

Eventually, Blake found herself timidly walking into the Freestyle Club, the anxiety beginning to pool at the pit of her stomach. Her mother chose her white jacket for her, with a plain black t-shirt and her black pants, and she had to admit that it wasn't that bad of a look. But once she fully entered the club, the bass boomed far louder than it needed to and the voices around her swirled and danced into her ears, causing her to cover them with a wince. An hour, she thought, just an hour and then she could leave.

Blake shuffled her way through the crowd, flicking her eyes through the infinite number of faces that she would never see again. She walked by a boy with a funky looking fedora and a saxophone pin on his black jacket, and when their eyes met, he smirked at her and tipped the fedora.

"Evening, m'lady!" He said, and as Blake continued to walk past him, she couldn't help but giggle at the interaction, feeling a little less alone in the room. She continued on her way and eventually found a spot to sit down, sinking herself into the cushioned arm chair, curling in on herself. She surveyed the room, blocking out the incessant noise around her and studying each and every person she noticed. There were two people singing on a mini stage near her, two boys who seemed to mostly be doing it to have a bit of fun and not take it too seriously. One sported electric blue hair and goggles on his head, which was definitely a peculiar look. The other donned a white cut off jacket and a crop top, exposing a bit of his stomach when he danced around the stage with the other boy, his floppy blonde hair falling into his eyes. She snorted when the blonde one dipped the blue haired one at the end of the song, cheers and applause erupting when the blue haired one kissed him on the cheek. It was downright adorable, and was definitely a highlight of the night so far.

Then they were off the stage, and the MC was back up. She was even more peculiar than the blue haired boy- sporting rainbow hair and, well, rainbow everything on every single piece of her outfit. She grinned widely at the crowd and clapped along with everyone, squealing into the microphone.

"Wasn't that just adorable?! Who's gonna follow that up, huh? Anyone?" The girl screeched into the mic, looking all around the room for anyone to follow up that amazing display. No one came forward, many people chatting to their friends and barely paying attention, and Blake was _definitely_ not going up there. Sure, she could sing a little bit, but only for her mother on her birthday, and that was going to be extent of her singing career.

"Come on, buzzkills! Hey, you, you- over there." The girl whirled around and pointed to Blake, a spotlight suddenly shining on her and into her eyes, causing her to squint and hold her hand up to shield them. She looked at the girl, who was gesturing for her to come up onto the stage. Blake's eyes widened and she immediately shook her head, but she realised she wasn't the only one getting the special treatment here. On the other side of the stage, another spotlight shone on someone, someone with long golden hair and a startled look on their face.

Blake blinked as she was pulled out of her seat by someone random in the crowd, her cries of "Let me go" and "No" falling on deaf ears as her and the other person were shoved onto the mini stage, the rainbow girl squealing again and jumping off to give them room. Blake blinked a few more times, attempting to get the spots out of her eyes from the bright light that shone earlier.

When she opened her eyes again, the person was staring at her. It was a girl, and the first thing Blake noticed was her eyes. They were a lovely shade of lavender, and the layers of hair fell upon her shoulders in neat and tidy waves, clearly taken care of well. Blake's heart suddenly acted very weird, almost as if it jumped around in her chest, when the girl's lip quirked up in her direction, her eyes conveying how nervous she was and how ridiculous this whole situation had become.

A soft beat started up, and Blake turned towards the mic reluctantly, flitting her eyes around the enormous audience they had accumulated. She wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to hide, an attempt to guard herself from the onslaught of stares and whispers. She gulped as the beat progressed, not expecting anything significant to happen.

**"There's a garden, where I go,**

**If you meet me there, no one will know.**

**In the spring time, in the sun,**

**We can be alone without anyone."**

An angelic voice came to life beside her, and she whipped her head up towards the stranger next to her, eyebrows furrowed in both awe and confusion. The girl's face flushed at all the stares, her hands fidgeting with the lapels of her leather jacket as she glanced at Blake nervously. Blake blinked and snapped her eyes away, clearing her throat and ignoring the heat on her face. She heard the girl also clear her throat as the next lines of the song began.

**"All the butterflies, and the birds,**

**Keep our secret, no they won't say a word.**

**But they watch us, and they know,**

**And they're happy as they see our love grow."**

As she sang, Blake was compelled to glance the girl's way, only to immediately look away when she realised the girl was also glancing towards her. Blake seriously had no clue what she was doing, and this was a complete stranger she was being forced to sing with. She didn't understand the way her heart had started to flutter whenever the girl would glance back at her, either. Blake obviously had eyes, and this stranger was absolutely beautiful, her kind face accompanied with her soft vocals impacting her in such a way that she felt a bit more relaxed, even if she didn't fully understand why. 

Blake remained in her hunched over position, though, and when she glanced towards the stranger, who had been patiently waiting the whole time for her to _do something_ , she was biting her lip and looking away, turning her back on her to walk off the stage and end this charade. But, an urgent rush shot through her, the stranger's retreating form finally kicking her into gear and building up her courage enough to finally open her mouth, and sing.

_"We'll sit for a while, as I drink in your smile,_

_It feels like a dream that's come true._

_My head starts to buzz, and my heart fills with love over you."_

The stranger whirled around at the sound of Blake's soft, yet powerful voice. Blake gulped, swallowing the nervous lump beginning to form in her throat. The stranger roamed her eyes over her face, studying her intently, until an unexpected yet glowing smile erupted onto her face. Blake's heart leaped when the stranger returned to the mic, both of them glancing to the screen in order to see the next lines of the song, both of them required to sing the chorus.

_**"Baby can't you see, you could be with me,** _

_**We could live inside a garden of ecstasy."** _

The stranger smiled at her, teeth and all, and Blake's own smile began to form as she watched the stranger remove her jacket, throwing it off of the stage. She unconsciously giggled, the stranger's smile seemingly only growing at this point. 

_**"You could be my queen, I could be your dream,** _

_**Our lives like a fantasy** _

_**Maybe set me free? (Set me free)** _

_**Let me be your bumblebee."** _

Blake's smile was hurting her cheeks at this point, and the stranger was smiling right back at her, not a care in the world anymore. Blake had uncurled her arms from around herself, hands resting on the microphone stand instead. The crowd was hollering for them, the positive energy spreading throughout the entire club, hitting everyone right in their souls. Blake glanced at the screen, seeing her lines coming up.

_"Now the flowers, are in bloom,_

_And you've chased away my darkness and gloom._

_When the wind blows through the trees,_

_And your voice is like a song in the breeze."_

The stranger's eyes were locked on hers as she sang the lines, a grin plastered on her face and sparkles in her eyes from the intense spotlights on them. Blake's heart hammered in her chest, and she took a leap of faith, detaching the microphone from the stand to hold it freely, twisting her body to sing directly at the stranger, her lilac eyes widening with interest and amusement.

_"My doubts disappear every time that you're near,_

_The clouds seem to run from the sky."_

The music vibrated through Blake's body, and the beat of the song and warm sensation in her stomach possessed her for a split second. She reached her hand out towards the stranger, hooking her finger onto the collar of her shirt to bring her slightly closer to her, revelling in the shocked but excited look in the person's eyes. 

_"The thought of your kiss sends my soul into bliss,_

_I get high."_

Blake held the note, and once her line was finished, she unhooked her finger and moved herself back a little, giggling at the dazed look in the stranger's eyes. She quickly recovered and also grabbed her mic to handle it freely, aiming her wide smile at Blake as they sang the chorus together again.

**_"Baby can't you see, you could be with me,_ **

**_We could live inside a garden of ecstasy!"_ **

The stranger slipped her hand into hers, catching her off guard by twirling her around on the stage, causing them both to stumble and almost fall. They remained upright though, and their hands stayed intertwined as they continued.

**_"You could be my queen, I could be your dream,_ **

**_Our lives like a fantasy,_ **

**_Maybe set me free? (Set me free)_ **

**_I could be your..."_ **

The stranger jumped back to her side of the small stage, hovering her hand out towards Blake in a loving gesture, but the contrasting look of pure amusement on her face downplayed the act considerably.

**"Like a serenade, every word you say,**

**Has me fallin', more and more in love with you."**

Blake's cheeks heated up at the lyrics directed at her, but willed herself not to get lost in it too much, quickly raising her microphone to maintain the momentum of the performance, stomach full of warmth and softness towards the stranger singing with her.

_"Like a purr-die beat, you are oh so sweet,_

_Every day is sunny, tastes like honey._

_Feel so alive, take me back to the hive!"_

The proceeding guitar solo encouraged everyone in the audience to jump around, dancing with their partners or their friends, or random strangers they had only just met. Blake bopped around to the beat and the magnificent strings being played into her ears from the song, only for giggles to bubble from within when the stranger hopped up and down on the stage, performing with an invisible guitar in her hands. Blake smiled wide and shook her head at the girl, who ignored the fact that she looked utterly ridiculous and continued, smile threatening to break her face apart.

Once the guitar solo was over, the stranger pretended to throw her fake guitar off the stage, grabbing at the microphone in order to keep in time with Blake as the chorus came around again, their eyes locking together for the remainder of the performance.

**_"Baby can't you see, you could be with me,_ **

**_We could live inside a garden of ecstasy!_ **

**_You could be my queen, I could be your dream._ **

**_Our lives like a fantasy,_ **

**_Maybe set me free,_ **

**_Let me be your bumblebee!"_ **

They both maintained the note together for several seconds until the beat of the song tapered off. Their voices melded into one as the note was let go, their eyes never straying from each other while their chests heaved from all the excitement. They stared at one another for a solid minute while the level of cheers and applause grew around them in the club.

"Yang." The stranger finally said, shouting a little over the crowd. It took a moment for Blake to understand what she had even said, and once she realised it was the reveal of the stranger's name, Blake beamed at her.

"Blake." Blake replied. Yang nodded once at her, as if attempting to commit that name to memory.

"Woooooahh, that was insane you guys! So freakin' adorable and fun! Thanks for being team players!" The rainbow girl suddenly came back and broke them apart, taking both microphones from them and using one of them to deliver her little speech. "Have fun kissing at midnight!"

The crowd roared at that, but Blake paid them no mind, because Yang was still gazing at her with such intensity that it was hard not to look away. Yang stretched her hand out towards her, and without much thought, Blake grasped her hand and intertwined their fingers, the two girls hopping off the stage and shuffling through the crowd, receiving pats on the back and cheers in their faces.

Once they exited the club and the bitter, brisk wind grazed their warm cheeks, they looked at each other again and both laughed in disbelief, hands remaining locked in place.

"That was insane! What the hell was that?" Yang said, and Blake realised this was her first time hearing her proper voice. It was boisterous and loud, and normally Blake would have a problem with that tone of voice, as if the person found everything a joke and had to yell about it. But, Yang seemed different, and Blake found herself enjoying her time with her.

"I don't even know. I thought I was going to throw up at the start." Blake replied, and Yang snorted, eyes crinkling from the large grin that wouldn't leave her face.

"Your voice is killer, though. Obviously you sing, right?" Yang gushed, the pair stopping at a nearby table to lean themselves against, heads staying within close proximity. Blake raised an eyebrow and shook her head, biting back her laughter at Yang's incredulous look.

"Just with my parents, on special occasions." Blake said. She shrugged at Yang's curious look, lilac eyes looking straight into hers. Blake felt something in the pit of her stomach while Yang looked at her, similar to what she felt while singing on stage with her. It was warm and fluttery, and she was unsure of how to deal with that or what to do about it at the moment, overwhelmed with everything that occurred just minutes before.

Yang eventually hummed and smiled softly at her, eyes narrowing.

"Well, I think you're really great." Yang said sincerely.

"So are you." Blake shot back, and Yang's eyebrows raised to her hairline. "Seriously, you're really good. When did you start singing?" Blake said, tilting her head with interest. Yang's cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink as she raised her hand to rub the back of her neck, a small, timid smile replacing the beaming one from before.

"Tonight?" Yang replied, glancing into Blake's eyes to see astonishment and confusion.

"You've never sang before tonight?" Blake said incredulously, and Yang raised her shoulder in a half-shrug, giggling a little.

"I mean, I'm sure my shower has loads of fun with my personal karaoke sessions, but other than that, nope." Yang said, popping the 'p'. Yang's eyes moved to look up at the starry night sky, a chilly wind rippling through them both and causing them both to shiver. Blake followed Yang's line of sight, chewing on the words Yang had said, still not believing that she hadn't sang properly before. Her voice was beautiful, as was she, and it was hard to wrap her mind around the fact that an amazing set of vocals was hiding in there.

They were quiet for another moment, until they heard kids from inside the club and a few stragglers outside begin to count down from ten, the new year almost upon them. Blake and Yang glanced to each other, cheeks heating up when their eyes met. Blake's heart pounded as the countdown landed on three seconds, Yang's eyes roaming all over her face, landing on her lips for a fraction of a second. Blake's breath hitched, and before things got too out of hand, as the countdown ended and fireworks exploded in the air, Blake cleared her throat and moved her head, looking up at the colourful streaks in the sky.

"I should... Um, probably find my mom and wish her a happy new year." Blake yelled over the fireworks, pushing herself away from the table she and Yang had been leaning against. Yang blinked at her, a swirl of emotions travelling through her eyes until she settled on a mix of sadness, but also a softness that Blake wasn't entirely used to yet.

"Yeah, of course. Me too." Yang replied, before she stopped and laughed awkwardly, "I mean, not _your_ mom, obviously. Mine. My mom and dad." Yang stumbled over her words, the stutters adding even more to the level of adorable that Yang had reached. Blake giggled and nodded, and before she could slip away from this wonderful stranger, Yang rummaged around in her jacket pockets, pulling out a phone.

"How about I call you tomorrow?" Yang said, a hopeful glint in her eye as she held her phone out towards Blake. Blake paused and glanced down at the phone, heart clenching with warmth at the idea of talking to Yang again, even if it was just through the phone. Blake returned her eyes to Yang's, and with a small nod, took Yang's phone to input her information.

Once she was finished and had handed Yang's phone back to her, she swiftly pulled her own phone out of her pocket, holding it out for Yang to also input her information. Yang beamed and did just that, tongue poking out in concentration as she did so, which Blake thought was the cutest thing she'd ever seen. Yang finished and returned Blake's phone to her, their eyes meeting after they had both pocketed the phones.

"Tonight was... Really fun." Yang said with a cheeky grin, and Blake returned the smile, nodding her head in agreement.

"Probably the best night of this entire vacation, to be honest." Blake replied, and Yang laughed her booming, obnoxious laugh that somehow didn't annoy Blake like it normally would have if it were any other person. There was just something about this girl that defied everything that Blake had previously thought or felt, and while it was exciting to have finally met someone like Yang, another part of her was scared about all she'd been feeling, a coil of sadness folding around her heart at the thought of having to leave the next day.

"I'm with ya there." Yang said.

There was a beat of silence, before a particularly bitter chill snapped Blake out of her trance-like state, and she backed up a little, motioning towards the door that led back inside the Freestyle Club.

"See you around." Blake said, and with a final parting wave from the both of them, Blake hurried inside the club, smile unwavering and stomach filling with butterflies. She didn't look back, and while she knew it was a long shot that this would go anywhere, there was a tiny part of her that hoped it would. A small part of her inside that believed this was just the the start; the start of something she never expected she would find in a place like this.

The start of something new. 


	5. Affection/Love Languages

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> day #5 for bees week is affection/love languages, i hope you enjoy this fluffy piece lol i realised that i set my bees stuff in volume 7 events a lot of the time, probably because that's where their cheesiest stuff ended up happening so yeet

"Oh my gosh, _no_ , you gotta do it like this."

"That's what I'm doing!"

Yang giggled as Blake attempted the shuffle move one more time. They barely noticed when Weiss, Ruby, Jaune and Oscar left the room, leaving the two of them alone to sort out this dancing fiasco.

"Are you _sure_ you're the most agile of this group?" Yang said, crossing her arms with a teasing smile on her face when Blake snapped her gaze to her.

"My agility is with fighting, Yang. Dancing is _not_ what my training was for, okay?" Blake replied, placing her hands on her hips in defiance. Yang snorted and shook her head at her partner, bemused.

"I'll just have to be a better teacher, I guess." Yang said. Blake looked at her then, her right cat ear flicking slightly. Yang met her eyes, the familiar swarm of butterflies erupting inside of her at the soft look in Blake's amber orbs, a tenderness shining through them that Yang was still getting used to. Things were all so new and fresh, and Yang wasn't entirely sure where they stood with each other or where this was going, but she was all the more happy to figure it out with Blake, and to have these little moments to themselves.

Eventually, Blake glanced away and smiled a little, walking past Yang to sit back down at the desk she was perched at before. Yang watched as she looked into the small mirror again, playing with her hair and looking all over her face. Yang twisted her body towards her and with a brief second of hesitation, walked closer to stand behind her, mirroring their position from earlier.

"You look... Um, really nice already." Yang said, stumbling over her words when Blake's eyes flicked to hers in the mirror. Blake's cheeks turned a light shade of pink, and her eyes shone with softness.

"Thanks. I just... Wanted to make sure." Blake replied, moving her eyes back to look at herself in the mirror. Yang pursed her lips and glanced to the door, before taking a breath and reaching forward, placing her hands on Blake's shoulders, gathering her attention again. Their eyes met in the mirror once again, and Yang smiled softly at her, encouragingly.

"Trust me, you always look great." Yang said cheerfully, and was delighted when Blake's blush deepened on her face. She smiled back at Yang through the mirror, and Yang suddenly grabbed her hand, hauling her out of the chair to twirl her around, catching her off guard. Yang reached out to place her other hand on Blake's waist, steadying her when she stumbled a little. "Let's practice some more dancing. You're gonna need it." Yang giggled when Blake huffed, but her smile remained on her face despite the dig at her dancing.

"It's a club, Yang. Not the Atlas Ball." Blake replied. There was a twinkle of amusement in her eye, and an equally bemused expression her face and Yang shrugged, grinning back at her in a cheesy manner.

"You never know when these moves could come in handy. It's for the benefit of your overall success." Yang said it with such seriousness that Blake snorted, giggling into her hand and shaking her head. Yang linked their hands together tightly, pulling Blake out to the middle of the room to give them more space. Blake studied her, ears pricked forward with interest at where Yang was leading this. "Have you ever tried slow dancing?"

Blake blinked at her and shook her head, ears drooping a little. The butterflies returned to Yang's stomach as she faced Blake, clearing her throat. "Do you... Want to try?"

Blake clasped her hands together and fiddled with her fingers, meeting Yang's eyes. Eventually, she nodded, a small, nervous smile forming on her lips.

Yang beamed and nodded once, shifting closer to Blake.

"Okay, just follow my lead." Yang said, glancing into Blake's eyes. Blake nodded, and with that, Yang slid both her hands down to Blake's waist, looking into her eyes for permission. Blake responded by wrapping her arms around Yang's neck, giving her a look of encouragement. Yang smiled gently, heart beating wildly as she began to move them in a slow circle, letting Blake get used to the motion.

Blake looked down at their feet, focusing hard on not falling over. Yang noticed her tongue poking out in sheer concentration, her heart melting at the sight of how dedicated Blake was to trying this with her. They had started to become more touchy as time went on, always seeking the other out and looking for that little moment of comfort with each other. They were practically inseparable, and although Yang could only speak for herself with how content she was with all of that, she would like to think Blake thought the same.

Despite their recent development with physical touch, they hadn't been like this before. Yang mentally patted herself on the back for gaining the courage to even ask, the close proximity and softness of the entire situation sending a pleasant feeling throughout her body.

As they moved in a slow circle together, bodies syncing up and working in tandem, Blake lifted her head to look at her, radiant smile on her face. Yang's breath hitched when Blake shuffled closer, arms encircling her neck and encouraging Yang to wrap hers even more around her waist.

"Thank you for helping me." Blake breathed out, her breath fanning out over Yang's lips. Yang swallowed and nodded, not trusting herself to say anything at that moment. Blake bit her lip and took a breath, leaning in to press her forehead against Yang's softly, moving her hands to touch the sides of her neck. Yang's heart raced in her chest, unsure of what to do. Blake's thumbs caressed the undersides of her jawline, sending chills down her spine.

"Is this okay?" Blake whispered. Yang blinked and attempted to regain some composure, nodding quickly.

"Of course." Yang replied softly, and Blake seemed to sigh with relief. They continued their slow movements in the middle of the dorm room, foreheads pressed together in a gentle pressure, Blake's eyes closed and Yang's wide open, focused on the girl in front of her. It was hard to imagine they would ever get to this point, after everything they had been through. It was especially hard for Yang to fully comprehend it all, but all she knew was she was happy Blake was back with them, with _her_.

Yang felt a sudden compulsion, watching Blake's serene and content face with her thumbs continuing to trace gentle circles into her skin. Yang licked her lips and leaned in a little, fulfilling the compulsion by pressing her lips to Blake's forehead in a brief but loving, soft gesture. Blake stilled in her arms, but before Yang could completely regret ruining the moment or damaging whatever their relationship was at this moment, she heard a soft purr from Blake's throat, and Blake slid her hands up to Yang's cheeks to cup them. Yang gulped when Blake blinked her eyes open to look into hers, foreheads touching again.

"Sorry." Yang murmured, breaking the trance-like state they were both in briefly. Blake smiled and shook her head, booping Yang's nose with her own.

"It was nice." Blake said, pulling some of the weight off of Yang's shoulders about the whole thing. She added fuel to fire, and fluttered Yang's heart considerably when she also pressed her lips to Yang's forehead to return the gesture, Yang feeling the smile against her skin.

Blake lingered there for a few seconds longer, Yang closing her eyes to take in the moment for a bit longer. It was the first time they'd ever connected in this way, and Yang wondered briefly if there would be more of this, now that they were in a better place. She certainly hoped so.

Blake pulled her lips away, and when Yang opened her eyes, she eventually noticed that they had stopped moving completely and were just standing in each other's arms, breathing in each other's scent and basking in the other's warmth. Blake's cheeks were red, and she could only assume hers were as well. They smiled at each other with a hint of nervousness, neither of them fully understanding what came over them, but knowing that they both enjoyed it.

Yang pressed her lips together, and was about to say something, when a ring from Blake's scroll broke into the quiet atmosphere, startling them both. Blake pulled away from her and took her warmth with her, Yang trying to not be too disappointed at the lack of touch. Blake cleared her throat and pulled out her scroll from her jacket pocket, answering the call and putting the person on speaker.

"Hello?" Blake said.

"Yoooo! Where are you guys? We've been waiting out in the cold, freezing our asses off. Stop making out for two seconds and get out here!" Neon's shrill voice travelled through the scroll, Blake's cat ears flattening on her head in order to block some of the noise out. Yang winced when the call was abruptly ended after that, Blake sighing and pocketing her scroll again. They raised their eyes to look at one another, and Blake reached up to play with the ends of her hair, similar to when Yang complimented her new haircut.

"We should probably get going, huh?" Blake said, light blush still on her face. Yang swallowed down all the things she wanted to say, all the things she wanted to tell her. Instead, she just smiled softly and nodded, gesturing towards the door.

"Gotta show Team FNKI who the real dancers are, right?" Yang grinned, Blake giggling and nodding in agreement.

They walked together out of the room, shuffling their way down the hall towards the exit of the Academy. Their moment in the dorm room replayed in Yang's mind, a content smile on her face. She noticed a similar smile on Blake's face as well.

It was a new step for both of them, but Yang didn't mind. She was happy with how things were going, and judging by Blake's reaction to everything, she thought the same. Slowly but surely, Yang thought, something was changing between them, and it had started the moment they arrived in Atlas. 

And Yang was more than happy to see where it would go. 


	6. Sun/Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> day #6 for bees week is sun/moon :) hope you all enjoy my take on it, i tried my best with the prompt lol set in beacon days, can we pretend that the sun and the moon work the same with remnant as if it's earth just for this one shot to make sense? thank you <3 lol

"Guess who?"

Blake's vision was momentarily blocked, the words in her book vanishing as someone covered her eyes. This someone was easy to identify quite quickly though, as there was only one person that knew she was in the library that day, and Blake's lips formed a smirk as she lowered her book, tilting her head to act as if deep in thought.

"Hmmm, oh, I don't know... Is it the world's loudest snorer?" Blake replied with amusement, and the person sputtered, removing their hands from her eyes and allowing her vision to come back.

"I don't snore _that_ loud." Yang protested, swinging around Blake's chair to sink down into the one next to her. Blake returned her gaze to her book and hummed softly, playful smirk still on her face.

"My sleepless nights say otherwise." Blake shot back, and Yang's face flushed, the girl grumbling and crossing her arms. Blake maintained her focus on her book, turning the page after several seconds. Yang shifted in her seat and glanced at her, then the book in her hands.

"Whatcha readin'?" Yang asked.

Blake pursed her lips and glanced to Yang, raising her book to show her the cover. Yang comically tilted her head to the side in order to read it, narrowing her eyes. Blake bit back a giggle as she mouthed the title.

"Eclipse: The Sun and The Moon." Yang said, straightening herself up in the chair. Blake nodded in confirmation, but before she could get back into reading, Yang piped up again. "What's it about?"

Blake raised her eyebrow at her partner, amused smile on her face. "The Sun... And the Moon?"

Yang stared at her blankly before sighing in annoyance, sticking her tongue out at her and causing her to giggle finally. "Smart ass, I _know_ that. I meant, what's it talkin' about? Why are you so into it?"

Blake gently closed the book and marked her page for later, realising that she probably wouldn't be getting back to her spot any time soon. She leaned back in her chair and looked at Yang, who seemed very eager to know. It was... Intriguing, how interested Yang seemed to be in the things that she did. She never had someone so dedicated to learning about her, never had someone try to understand her interests. She was used to being told how boring her hobbies were, and was never asked to elaborate on any of her thoughts and feelings about a book she was reading.

But Yang always tried.

"Well," She began, tapping the cover of the book. "I've always been fascinated by the sun, and in turn, the moon. Their relationship, and the way that they maintain balance with the world and with each other is really interesting to me." Blake said, shrugging. Yang leaned forward in her seat, an excited sparkle in her eye.

"Whoa, that sounds so cool." Yang beamed at her, catching her off guard. Blake blinked in surprise at the puppy-like excitement Yang was radiating, all because Blake explained a basic principle about two of the world's most important pieces. Yang grinned and pointed at the book. "I'd like to hear more."

"You... Do?" Blake said with a raised eyebrow, disbelief in her tone. "It's... Not exactly exciting stuff, you know. You don't have to pretend with me, Yang." Blake pressed her lips together and sighed, looking down at the book in her lap. There was a beat of silence before a sharp sound from Yang's chair caught her attention. Yang had stood up and was moving her chair closer to hers, at an angle so they were looking at one another and their knees brushed. Yang smiled warmly at her, pointing at the book again.

"Listen, I may not fully get what the heck you're talking about half the time." Yang said, and Blake huffed out a laugh. "But, I like hearing you talk about this stuff. It's... Just awesome seeing how passionate you get, that's all. I'm into it." Yang said with a grin. Blake squinted at her, looking back and forth between Yang's lilac orbs. She studied her, wondering if she was still being played, wondering if Yang would be pranking her like she usually did. 

But, all she saw was excitement and encouragement from her. With that, Blake let out a breath and nodded, tapping the book absentmindedly.

"Well," She said. "The Sun warms the planet, and works together with the Moon to create tides for us. The moon orbits us, while we orbit the sun." Blake explained, opening up the book to flip through it quickly, stopping on a page with a diagram of this exact thing. She leaned over to Yang, who eagerly shuffled closer to look at the page, eyes wide with interest. "All three work together to create eclipses."

"Whoa." Yang breathed out in awe as Blake turned the page again, showing her a picture of the moon blocking the sun- a solar eclipse. Blake smiled softly at Yang's curious expression.

"As I said before, they work together to create the tides. The moon causes the rise in the tides, with some help from the sun. One depends on the other in order to create high or low tides, or have the tides be less extreme for us." Blake said, leaning back in her chair and closing the book in her lap, looking at Yang as she processed what she was saying. "Basically, both of them are separate from each other, but still depend on each other in order to make these things happen. Almost as if they're bonded together by an invisible tether, you know?"

Yang nodded slowly, taking in everything as she leaned back in her own chair, humming in thought. Blake watched her for a moment, feeling a light blush creep up her neck to her cheeks.

"Sorry if that was too much." Blake said, playing with the ends of her long, raven hair. "I'm sure that was more than you wanted to know."

Yang blinked and shot her eyes to Blake, raising her hands in a calming motion.

"No! Hey, that was super cool. I love listening to you talk, don't worry." Yang replied, and Blake felt a flutter in her chest, something she hasn't felt in a very long time. The blush remained on her face, and she laughed a little, shrugging. Yang grinned and poked her shoulder. "For real, that's really cool. What else does it say?"

They gazed at one another, Yang with a warm look in her eyes and encouraging smile, Blake with disbelief written over her face. Blake eventually smiled back and looked at the book again, opening up to a random page.

"Well, there's this..."

Blake continued to talk about everything and nothing, Yang's focus completely on her and the book. Their day in the Beacon library was spent doing this, and it was dark by the time Blake had finished explaining everything she wanted to.

As they were leaving the library, Blake felt lighter than she had in a long time. Yang... _Listened_ to her, and actually cared about what she was saying. It was different, and something she'd never experienced before with a partner. And as time went on, with their partnership and friendship growing more and more, Blake realised there was something about Yang that was just... Different.

Almost like the sun and the moon, they were tethered. By their partnership, their friendship... And possibly something more.

But, Blake would have to leave that thought for another day, at a later time.

It's a shame she didn't realise just how little time she had left with her Sun.


	7. Tiger/Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hey yall. i kind of went mia for a little bit, im sorry about that. this prompt for bees week kind of stumped me because although i understand it for the most part and i get why it applies to them, i also just wasn't sure what to write for it?? but i wanted to finish the prompts for bumbleby week even though it's all over. i hope you guys like this one! this is set in volume 7, and the bees are maybe a bit more established than they were in canon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - "the undercurrents of emotion, passion, and secret desires that lie beneath the surface of polite society and civil behaviour."

"Hey Blake, wanna spar?"

Blake slanted her eyes upwards above her book at the sound of Yang's bubbly voice. She stood there with a grin on her face and Ember Celica attached to her wrists, as well as a change of training clothes consisting of a t-shirt with the Atlas logo on it and grey sweatpants. Blake was spread out on her bunk in the team's Atlas dorm room, just a few hours after a particularly rigorous training session with the Ace-Ops. They were really pushing them harder than they ever had before- mentally and physically- and her muscles held a dull ache in them as she was reminded of the many slams she had taken against Vine. She also vaguely remembered Yang taking similar hits from Elm as they sparred together.

So, Blake raised an eyebrow at her partner, slowly lowering the book into her lap.

"You want to spar... When Ironwood allowed us time to rest finally?" Blake countered with a curious gaze. Yang blinked and her cheeks flushed, eyes straying away from Blake's face for a moment before they returned to her, a glint in them from the stream of low sunlight filtering through the curtains. She crossed her arms and shrugged, the action causing her shirt to raise slightly.

"Scared you're too tired to beat me this time?" Yang replied with a smirk. Blake pursed her lips. She glanced down to the sliver of skin poking out between the ridden up shirt and Yang's sweatpants, a warmth spreading through her bones at how silky smooth she imagined it to be, an image of her fingertips gliding over it to leave goosebumps in their wake plaguing her mind only briefly. She halted her thoughts and furrowed her brows at herself, shaking her head slightly to bring herself back to Yang's teasing question. Yang was staring at her expectantly, but with an underlying look of "I know what you're thinking about." Which, Blake thought, she probably did.

Blake cleared her throat.

"Please. You know I could have you on your back in seconds, if I wanted to." Blake slowly closed the book in her lap and set it aside on her bed, clasping her hands and narrowing her eyes at Yang, whose cheeks flushed even more at the implications of that statement. Blake's lip twitched up into a smirk as she raised herself from her bed, standing level with Yang now, their eyes locked in a heated gaze. "Let me get changed, then I'll happily beat you."

Yang scoffed, but Blake just slipped past her towards the wardrobe in the dorm room, Ironwood having provided them with at least a few other pieces of clothing. It was really only Atlas themed attire, but Blake was just happy to have something different for a change, especially when the team would spar on their own from time to time. She pulled out her own set of an Atlas t-shirt and sweatpants, slightly twisting her body to catch Yang's eyes lingering on her, the lilac a darker shade than before.

"I'll meet you there." Was all Blake said before she slipped into the bathroom to change.

A mere fifteen minutes later, once Blake was changed and had located Gambol Shroud, she found herself in the virtual training room she had been in just hours earlier. But now it was devoid of any signs of life- the lights only just turning themselves on when she entered, her motions allowing the room to be bathed in the white lighting. Blake held Gambol in one hand as she walked into the room, Yang nowhere to be seen. She paused when she arrived in the middle of the room, the simulated pillars surrounding her on every side. Her cat ears flicked when she heard a shuffle to her right, swivelling them in that direction when she heard another. She smirked and cleared her throat, tossing Gambol from one hand to the other, back and forth in anticipation.

"Where oh where is the great Yang Xiao Long?" Blake said, glancing around the room. "I guess she's just _so_ afraid of losing..."

Before Blake could finish, the blonde inferno of a woman shot out from behind a pillar to Blake's right side, attempting to catch Blake off guard with a punch to her side. Blake was ready for it though, and blocked the blow with the flat side of Gambol, Yang's eyes meeting hers with a playful smirk on both of their faces.

"You're the one that should be afraid." Yang teased, and Blake huffed out a laugh, before shoving Yang away from her. Blake held up Gambol Shroud as Yang raised her fists, locking Ember Celica in place. They stared at one another over their weapons, a mischievous glint in Blake's eye when Yang eventually shot towards her again. Yang yelled and swung her fist towards her, only for Blake to disappear into thin air right in front of her eyes. Yang stopped and blinked, before she groaned in annoyance and looked around her.

"Blake, come on!" Yang whined, and she heard a distant giggle from somewhere in the room.

"Hey, we're sparring. I can use whatever tools I want." Blake replied, and Yang huffed in response, shaking her head. Things remained quiet for another moment as Yang listened for her, only for a yell to erupt from above. Yang's head whipped up to see Blake drop from one of the pillars, her eyes widening as Gambol rained down on her. Yang dodged out of the oncoming blade, and Blake landed perfectly on her feet, a wicked grin on her face at the shock on Yang's expression.

"Dude!" Yang said breathlessly, and Blake just snorted before beckoning at her in a challenge. Yang huffed and squared her shoulders, raising her fists to prepare herself once again. 

Yang went on the offence again, and this time, Blake didn't use a clone right away to mess with her. Yang swung a few punches at her and a kick, which she all blocked, then copied herself to swing around to Yang's back, driving the blunt end of Gambol into her back, causing her to stumble. Yang straightened herself up quickly though and whirled around, not wasting any time in shooting at the floor, a sudden speed boost added to her in order to land a blow into Blake's shoulder with her fist. Blake grunted in pain, but quickly dodged the next blow to her left side, stumbling back from Yang's onslaught of punches.

"Damn, slow down there sunshine." Blake giggled, and Yang just grinned at her before attempting the same move again, shooting down at the floor for a speed boost. Blake was ready for it this time though, and swiftly shot to the side, winding Gambol Shroud up before throwing it, connecting it with Yang's wrist. Yang sputtered as Gambol wrapped itself around her wrist tightly. Blake tugged on the ribbon and smirked when Yang fell to the floor in a heap, chest heaving and stunned expression on her face. 

Before Blake could declare victory, Yang recovered from her shocked state and pulled on the ribbon wrapped around her wrist. Blake squeaked and fell to the floor, right on top of Yang's sprawled out body with her hands shooting out on either side of her head to keep herself steady. Yang raised herself up on her elbows and laughed heartily at the look on Blake's face, smile threatening to break her face when Blake looked back at her with a playful glare.

"This is sparring to you?" Blake asked with a raise of her brow, and Yang's cheeks turned red, even more so than they already were from the very little training they actually did. Yang looked up at her with such soft, beautiful eyes and Blake found herself completely forgetting their compromising position, and that they were laying in the middle of the training room that anyone could walk into. 

"You caught me." Yang finally murmured in the limited space between them. Blake remained in her position on top of her, but neither of them minded one bit. "It wasn't... Really about the sparring. I just..." Yang trailed off and chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, and Blake gazed down at her with a flutter in her heart. "Things have been so crazy lately, and I just wanted some time with my favourite partner." Yang looked up at her with a cheeky grin, and Blake breathed out a laugh, a swarm of butterflies filling her stomach at the look in Yang's eyes.

"You could have just asked to hang out, like a normal person." Blake replied, and Yang shrugged, grinning slyly at her.

"That's no fun." Yang said. "Besides, we should be training more anyway. To show those Ace-Ops they can't break the best partners apart."

Blake snorted and rolled her eyes. She looked down at Yang, and it only just dawned on her the position they were in. She was straddling her, hands laid out on either side of her head, and with Yang raised on her elbows, the space between their faces was quite slim. Blake sucked in a breath at this realisation, eyes flicking back and forth between Yang's eyes. They observed each other, emotions hidden behind their eyes and many more things to discuss buried within their gentle smiles. But, there would be time for that later, when they were both ready for that conversation. For now, Blake licked her lips, glancing briefly at Yang's lips before returning her gaze to Yang's eyes, a flush on her cheeks.

"Can I..." She found herself saying, thoughts and feelings whirring around in her head. All of them had centred around Yang, and the soft way she was smiling at her and how grateful Blake was that she forgave her. Things were... Going really great, between them. Things were still a bit weird, and they were sometimes pretty awkward with the whole affection and flirting thing they had going on now. But, it was nice. Blake was enjoying just being with Yang again, like they were before, but with a considerable shift between them. She assumed Yang felt the same, and with the glowing smile and warm look in her eyes underneath her, her assumption must be correct.

Blake was grateful that they were able to be like this now, flirty and flustered, figuring themselves out together. Blake was happy with the slow pace, whatever worked for the both of them. But the lingering looks, the subtle messages they sent each other, it all felt like it culminated to this point, where Blake could ask this question. Where she felt compelled to do this, with Yang underneath her and their noses almost touching, heartbeats entwining into one.

"Can I kiss you?" Blake suddenly whispered, and Yang blinked several times at her, clearly taken aback with the question. A heat travelled between their bodies. Blake's cat ears pressed against her head nervously at Yang's response, heart hammering in her chest.

But then Yang, without a word, leaned ever so slightly closer, bumping her nose against her own. Blake inhaled sharply at the action, and without any more delay, tilted her head a bit in order to press her lips against Yang's. They both sighed through their noses, content warmth surging through them both as their lips slotted together. Yang's lips were chapped, but still so soft, and Blake pushed herself closer to Yang's body, their chests brushing. They moved slowly and carefully, savouring each other for as long as they could in these few moments of peace before the chaos of training and missions would occupy them in the coming days. Blake's whole body tingled with an excitement she hadn't felt in ages, and a pleasant and gentle warmth settled in her stomach, spreading all the way down to the tips of her toes. It began to get a bit clumsy, as they both smiled against each other, but it deepened just slightly after that. Yang raised herself a bit more and cradled Blake in her lap now, arms winding around her waist as they both got lost in it, Blake's hands cupping her cheeks.

Blake wondered how they hadn't done this before, but certainly wasn't complaining that they finally got around to it. Yang hummed into the kiss, sending another tingle down Blake's spine at the sound. Blake's lungs burned, and Yang's must have been too, because she slowly pulled away from her lips, breathing heavily and blinking, clearly in a daze. Blake gulped and opened her eyes to meet Yang's gaze. Yang looked completely bewildered, and her disbelief was almost laughable, but Blake tried to bite back the giggles.

"Uh... Whoa." Yang said, and that broke Blake- she giggled into her hand, and Yang whined in protest, gently shoving her shoulder. "Hey! Look, that was just... A lot, okay?"

Blake giggled some more before she calmed down, amber meeting lilac in a sweet look.

"I know. I'm sorry... If that was too much." Blake replied, a sudden nervousness overtaking her. It _was_ a lot, and maybe it was too much too soon, maybe Yang-

"No, no! It wasn't." Yang reassured her with a sweet smile, arms tightening around her waist in comfort. "It was amazing."

Blake rested her hands on Yang's shoulders and sighed gently- happily.

"Okay." She said. "Good."

Yang grinned and glanced down to her lips, before flicking them back up to Blake's eyes.

"Maybe we should... I don't know, practice some more." Yang stumbled a little over her words, and Blake almost snorted at the meek, timid nature she had taken on. Yang contrasted her own self better than anyone else could. Blake hummed and pretended to think for a minute, before she leaned in to press their foreheads together, hearts beating in time with one another.

"Gladly." She replied.

They didn't train much after that, but they were happy to just be with each other. They were clumsy, and definitely didn't have everything figured out, but they were learning together.

And for now that was enough.


	8. Free Day/VA Appreciation Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> and we've reached the end of bees week! thank you all for the support and love on these one shots. i had fun writing for the bees and im happy others enjoyed my work. the very final day is a free day or VA (voice actors) appreciation day. i dont do drawings or anything, so the VA appreciation isn't really something im gonna write about, im just gonna write a little thing for bumbleby. BUT i love barb and arryn so much and they've brought to life one of my favourite pairings ever and i appreciate them so much. i hope you guys enjoy this one shot :) love you all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> future bees where everything is fine in the world and they're in an established relationship, but not married. they cute though.

After the dust had cleared and things settled down following the defeat of Salem, nobody really had any idea what to do at first. There was so much chaos- so much pain and suffering, lives lost and trusting relationships torn apart through it all. It felt like all they had going for them was the fight. Nothing else mattered except defeating Salem and saving the people of Remnant, and the avenging the people they cared about. That was their goal from the start, and once it was fulfilled, everyone was at a loss of what to do next.

After a few months of aiding the areas around Remnant with the clean up, and attending celebrations and visiting old friends, the team found themselves staying at Ruby and Yang's childhood home on Patch, Taiyang welcoming Blake and Weiss with open arms and cups of warm tea. It was a strange first couple of nights for everyone, settling into a routine of domesticity rather than rigorous training or fighting monsters. Of course, they all still trained outside in the yard together- that much would never stop between them all. But most times they would relax inside and talk- about everything they went through, about the things that lead to this point.

Blake and Yang had become closer than ever after their trip to Vacuo for the relic. Sun was a big wing-man in that department- both him and Neptune creating ample opportunities for them both to work out whatever feelings they were having for one another. It was clumsy and awkward at first, but they'd gotten to a point where it was becoming tiresome to skirt around their issues and feelings. So, Blake kissed her on the beach in Vacuo, under the stars with the waves crashing gently against their bare feet and Yang almost fainted from the entire situation.

And now, all the way back in Patch, things were good between them. They loved each other, and loved being with one another. So much so that sometimes, when one of them was busy, the other would come bother them for attention.

Like right now.

"Blaaaake?" Yang sing-songed as she pushed open the door to the guest room, where Blake was currently seated at the desk with papers scattered around her and pen in hand. Her brows were furrowed with concentration, tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth as she scribbled on one of the pieces of paper. She didn't respond to Yang's call, and Yang huffed in the doorway before slipping inside, closing it behind her and leaning her back on it. She watched Blake's shoulders rise and fall in steady breaths for a few moments, taking in the hard crease between her eyebrows as her mind worked a mile a minute. No doubt she was working on the many twists and changes that she and her family wanted to implement in the White Fang. After everything that happened, and with Sienna and Adam gone, Blake's family was reinstated as the leaders of the group. Blake in particular was named the Chief, but was nowhere near Menagerie to hold that ceremony or deal with anything like that. The duty fell to Ghira, who happily took charge until Blake decided to travel home, but he still sent Blake numerous letters and documents regarding the group and the reformation of the entire movement for the Faunus.

It was a lot to deal with, to say the least.

Yang sighed lightly and pushed herself off the door. She crept closer to her partner, and when there was still no response to the call of her name or Yang's presence, Yang sighed again and gripped the back of Blake's chair. She yanked it out, a startled sound escaping from Blake's throat at the movement before Yang flopped herself into Blake's inviting lap. Yang wrapped her arms around Blake's neck and grinned at her partner, Blake looking back with disbelief.

"Yang." Blake said in a clipped tone, but Yang knew she wasn't being malicious on purpose. It was the stress- the weight on her shoulders from being heralded as a leader and the hero of the Faunus that was getting to her, and Yang understood that. So, she maintained the grin on her face.

"Blake." Yang replied, and Blake rolled her eyes. The crease between her brow was starting to annoy her almost, and she leaned in slightly, abruptly pressing a soft, lingering kiss on that very crease. Blake stilled for a just a moment before Yang felt her whole body release an abundance of tension, the crease slowly easing the longer Yang held the kiss there. Yang smiled against her skin and then pulled away to look into Blake's eyes, the bags under her eyes evident with how much work she was doing.

"I'm kinda busy here." Blake said softly, but with no real annoyance or resistance to Yang's actions. Yang hummed and kissed her forehead again, a soft smile blooming on Blake's face as a result.

"I know you're such a busy bee." Yang said. Blake snorted and dropped her pen onto the desk, promptly wrapping her arms around Yang's body in a loose, gentle grip. Yang looked into her tired eyes and smiled again. "But, this bee needs her honey sometimes."

Blake blinked and sighed in exasperation at the pun, Yang snickering at her reaction. But, Blake tightened her grip around her slightly, papers and documents long forgotten as they looked into each other's eyes with love and adoration. 

"You're such an idiot." Blake breathed out with a soft smile, and Yang shot her some finger guns and a wink, causing her to giggle. Yang grinned and leaned in, leaving a soft peck on her nose. Blake scrunched it up cutely, and Yang fought the urge to coo at the sight. 

"I'm your idiot, though. And your idiot wants your attention, sooo..." Yang trailed off and hopped off Blake's lap, spinning around to meet her gaze. She planted her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows in a challenging way, wiggling them a little. "Attention, please?"

Blake rolled her eyes and shook her head, but there was a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Who knew you'd end up being the clingy one between us." Blake replied, but she was already raising herself out of her desk chair, cracking her back from the uncomfortable position she had been sitting in for several hours. Yang scoffed and waved her hand in dismissal.

"Please, you're just as clingy when I go spar with Ruby all day." Yang shot back, and Blake felt a heat creep up her neck to her cheeks, ears flattening on her head. Yang looked at her as if to say "Got ya there." and Blake huffed, crossing her arms and twisting her body to fully face her.

"Oh please, I can't go to the market with Weiss for five minutes without my scroll ringing." Blake squared her shoulders and met Yang's eyes in a heated stare, standing level with each other as she walked closer. It was Yang's turn to blush now, and Blake cheered internally at her victory, serving Yang what she usually dished out towards her. It was just so satisfying to see such a strong, usually bad-ass woman melt into a puddle at just a few mere sentences.

Blake was ready to keep up the playful banter, ready to go back and forth like they always did, which would always end in smiles and cuddles. But Yang's shoulders sagged and she smiled softly at her, lilac eyes softening up completely.

"I just miss you, that's all." Yang murmured, and Blake blinked in surprise at the sudden shift. Yang reached out and cupped her warm cheeks, their gazes locked. "We have so much time for ourselves now, and I want to spend every minute with you. I don't want to waste it." Yang's smile was blinding, and it caught Blake off guard with how gentle and soft she had become in mere seconds. It was sappy as hell, and Blake bit her tongue in order to not tease her about that fact any further. Instead, she just sighed and leaned in to leave a soft peck on Yang's lips, both of them smiling when they pulled away. Blake grasped her hand and led her to the guest bed, the pair sinking down onto the soft blankets and pillows, tangled up in each other.

"You get ten minutes, then I have to go back to my work." Blake stated, but Yang just hummed, snuggling closer to her and burying her head in her chest, wrapping her arms around her tightly.

"Right."

Blake sighed softly, fatigue already creeping into her muscles and bones from the long day she had, and the work that was piling onto her shoulders. It wouldn't hurt to lay down for just a little bit, she told herself.

And as she gazed at Yang's serene and content expression as she fell asleep against her, she figured the work could wait. 

If attention was what Yang wanted, she would give it to her.

She'd do anything for her, just like she knew Yang would do the same.


End file.
